Charleston Wasteland
The City of Charleston is the oldest city in the state of South Carolina and the pivotal seat of power in the Wasteland which encompasses it. The borders of the so-called Charleston Wasteland stretch as far south as South Carolina-Georgia border and as far northward as Francis Marion Park. However, no single power has so far come to dominate this vast stretch of unruly wetlands. History Charleston was founded in 1670 by English Settlers, the city was named in honor of King Charles the II of England. The city was moved from its original site, which is now the site of the settlement of Old Town to the eastern banks of the Ashley where the settlements of the Bastion and King Street are present. It served as the capital of South Carolina until it was replaced by Columbia in 1788. During the Civil War, Charleston was set under a perpetual siege which could not take her nor could it be broken. During this time the city of Beaufort to the south of Charleston was captured and occupied by Union forces. The occupation of Beaufort is one of the inciting events for the creation of Gullah culture due to release of thousands of enslaved individuals. The Charleston region would survive the Civil War almost wholly intact as Beaufort and Charleston were both spared the harsh destruction of Sherman's March. This would fester a resentment, especially in Charleston, towards the restored federal government who in the minds of the people had never truly conquered them. Charleston would retain its architecture and aristocracy which greatly influenced its cultural development as well as the development of the less aristocratic city of Beaufort. However, as the economies of both cities evolved into the future it would be their cultural significance and strategic value which would preserve them. Beaufort became the site of the Parris Island Base, one of only two marine recruitment depots in the United States, her economy would grow to rely on the base and the tourists who would come to see her antebellum architecture. Charleston survived likewise due to her cultural prominence and geographically advantageous sight. Up until the beginning of the Resource Wars, she would be one of the most influential ports in the Southern United States. Post-War Following the Great War, the Charleston Wasteland was momentarily spared the disasters of nuclear war, only to be rudely awakened by rolling storms of radiation from the upstate. The people of the Charleston Wasteland fled indoors, underground, and into any form of shelter against the storms. They waited for the nukes which would either never come or suffer near misses as the Charleston Wasteland was dramatically spared a direct destruction by nuclear fire. The reasons for this remain mysterious to the people of the wasteland to this day as very few warheads detonated in the region. Many assume that the nuclear fire was directed almost entirely at the upstate as it formed the beating heart of South Carolina's industry and politics. Others still suggest that the Chinese failed to appreciate the significance of the Lowcountry. The boldest suggest that the Lowcountry was saved by a handful of brave pilots determined to see her live on after them. Despite being spared the destructive fire of the apocalypse, coastal Carolina would be ravaged by intense radstorms and a long nuclear winter. The famous Lowcountry wildlife either died or mutated into gigantic insects, predatory birds, monstrous fish, and humanoid crustaceans. As the dust settled, the people of the wastes, save those locked underground in the Charleston Wasteland's few vaults, emerged back to the world that awaited them. Geography The Charleston Wasteland is dominated by irradiated wetlands which still hold an illustrious allure despite the decades of radiation. Her coast is dotted with small islands well-suited for farming despite the acute difficulties presented by the irradiated wasteland. To the North, it is bordered by the Grand Strand Wasteland and to the South by the Georgia Wasteland. Travel between the wastelands is fairly easy and they are set apart more by cultural and geographic differences than by the difficulty of travel. However, this ease of travel becomes far more difficult as one nears what was once Florida. Few brave wastelanders venture into Florida from the Charleston Wasteland. Culture The culture of the Charleston Wasteland is painted by in parts by its Gullah and Southern heritages which have over time mixed. These cultures stand apart from the typical Wastelander culture and at times mix with it, producing interesting results. Of the two cultural groups which once inhabited the Charleston Wasteland, the Gullah have thrived and expanded more following the Great War. Gullah tribes cover nearly every formerly empty stretch of land that can be farmed. The Gullah are excellent farmers despite the challenges the wasteland presents them. When they're not working, the Gullah wear bright and colorful clothes. They speak their own brand of English which is named after them and sometimes referred to as "Sea Island Creole." They attend churches where they sing and dance far into the night. Their range extends along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, Northeastern Florida, and Southeastern North Carolina which makes their population in the Charleston Wasteland only a portion of their greater population. The Southern heritage of the Charleston Wasteland is by comparison more modest than the Gullah. Certainly, their success has been far more modest by comparison. These Carolinians inhabit most of the urban ruins of the region and run caravans along her length and width. Less numerous than the Gullah, they are far wealthier thanks to the pre-war tech buried beneath cities like Charleston and Beaufort. They speak with a mild Southern accent unique to the region, though a similar Southern dialect is also found on the Gulf Coast. Unlike typical Wastelanders, Carolinians are themselves as mild mannered as their accents. At times they are aloof but they are practical and religious people. Their form of worship is far more silent and reflective than the neighbouring Gullah and one might even mistake it for an air of death. Charleston is their proverbial Holy City. Locations * The Bastion - A Pre-War military academy turned Headquarters and home settlement of the Brigadiers * King Street - The Pre-War remains of Charleston's famous King Street converted into a settlement centered around Marion Square * Patriot's Point - A settlement around the ruins of a mock military base and the half-sunken USS Yorktown * The Battery - A settlement built around the old Battery along the southern coast of Charleston's peninsula Notable People * Thomas McLachin * Marcus Clay * Sky Beau Quotes Gallery Pre-War Gullah Art.jpg Category:Region Category:South Carolina Category:Places